In April 2025, Sam Blood was still finding his feet as a developing sprinter. The raw talent was clear, but what followed over the next nine months would become one of the most remarkable progression stories within FAST Performance.
This is the story of an athlete who didn’t just improve — he transformed.
The Numbers Tell the Story — If You’re Paying Attention
In September 2024, Sam ranked 8th in the ACT over 100 m.
By April 2025, he had climbed to 3rd at the ASC.
Six months later, in September 2025, he stood 2nd in the ACT.
By December 2025, Sam had risen to 14th in Australia — earning the honour of leading off the ACT 4×100 m relay team at his first major national championships.
That trajectory didn’t happen by accident.
What many missed back in September 2025 — amid louder headlines elsewhere — was Sam’s quiet but profound breakthrough: 11.21 s for 100 m, finishing second in the ACT. On paper, it looked solid. In context, it was extraordinary.
Just twelve months earlier, Sam had run 12.34 s.
A full 1.13-second drop in a year.
At this level, that’s not incremental improvement. That’s a rewrite.
Composure, Consistency, and Belief
By October, Sam wasn’t easing into summer — he was attacking it.
Opening the Summer Series, he produced:
- 11.09 s (PB) – 100 m
- 22.90 s (PB) – 200 m
Those performances confirmed what FAST coaches already knew: Sam had developed a new level of composure and repeatability under pressure. The athlete who once relied on effort was now executing with intent.
His 200 m time alone would have placed him 13th nationally at All Schools had he raced the event — a chance denied earlier in the year due to a technicality at ASC in April 2025. Rather than dwell on it, Sam used it as fuel.
Finding His Sporting Home
A keen basketballer before discovering sprinting, Sam has found more than speed at FAST — he’s found a sporting family.
Within FAST Performance, he embraced structure, accountability, and long-term development. Under the mentorship of Canberra Sprint Coach and FAST Performance Head Coach Steve Dodt, Sam learned not just how to train — but why.
He now understands his craft.
That understanding shows every time he steps on the track.
Eyes Forward: ACT Champs and Beyond
This summer, Sam will spend his holidays training on the South Coast beaches, preparing for his first ACT Championships in February 2026 — and then a genuine shot at his first Australian Junior Nationals.
At just 16 years old, he sits just outside the automatic qualification standards:
- 11.04 s (100 m)
- 22.24 s (200 m)
He’s not hiding from that reality.
Sam is clear on what’s required — and prepared to do the work to earn his place. The goal is ambitious but grounded: go to Junior Nationals in April 2026 in Brisbane and race the double.
A year ago, he only ran the 100 m.
Next year, he plans to arrive ready for more.
The FAST Difference
Sam Blood’s journey is a powerful example of what happens when talent meets the right environment.
At FAST Performance, development isn’t rushed — it’s engineered. Athletes are supported, challenged, and mentored with a long-term view, ensuring progress that lasts.
Sam didn’t just get faster.
He became a national-level sprinter.
And he’s only just getting started.
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